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Environmental Wellness

Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Intellectual

Emotional

Physical

Social

>Environmental

Occupational

Spiritual

Financial

Find mentors for environmental sustainability

Be sure to check out these departments as you seek to deepen your commitment to sustainable living

 

Faculty Sustainability Liaisons

Center for Sustainability

Workplace Sustainability Liaisons

Center for Sustainability

Student Employees (SEEDS)

Center for Sustainability

Resources to support environmental sustainability

Environmental Wellness 

is an awareness of the interdependent relationships between people, plants, animals, and the other systems of the earth. Mindful of the effects of your daily habits on the physical environment, environmental wellness emphasizes maintaining a way of life that maximizes harmony with the earth and minimizes harm to the environment. Creating a more humane, just and sustainable world.

Attributes that distinguish environmental wellness 

  • Protection of our natural resources 
  • Conservation of our natural resources
  • Social justice 
  • Awareness of surroundings 
  • Understanding of the negative effect of personal choices 

Resources 

The Center for Sustainability offers many resources for students to expand their knowledge of environmental wellness. There are many liaisons in a variety of departments or clubs across campus. The Sustainability Liaisons serve as peer educators for sustainability and experts in their respective areas on how to best integrate sustainability into their offices, programming, research, classroom, and resident communities. Another area of the Center for Sustainability is the Forge Garden. 

The Forge Garden is a 1/2 acre edible, organic garden. Do you want to get some sunshine and get your hands dirty? Check out the Forge Garden's YouTube Channel to learn how to grow your own food. The videos will teach you how to compost your food scraps, care for healthy soils, and there are easy kitchen projects you can take on while you are learning remotely. When we are not remote there are volunteer opportunities to work in the garden. 

The Office for Multicultural Learning is committed to promoting social justice, building bridges across diverse communities, and celebrating the differences of students at Santa Clara University. In addition, they advocate for historically underrepresented populations and educate the whole person within the context of Jesuit values.

What is the SCU tUrn project? 

An interdisciplinary collaborative extending an invitation to all members of higher education institutions and partner networks, alumni & community members to lean into the climate crisis with urgency, creativity, and efficacy. Two key weeks of SCU tUrn engagement happen in October and April. 

Reflect on your impact on the environment

Reflection questions

The reflection questions provided are based on the five steps of the Ignatian Examen: Give Thanks, Review, Reflect, Resolve, and Look Ahead.

1. Give Thanks

  • Where are my favorite places in nature?
  • Where do I find beauty in creation?
  • What resources do I have access to that other, especially the poor and vulnerable, do not have access to?

2. Review

  • How do I use water throughout the day? 
  • Do I recycle or compost?
  • What communities am I a part of? How can I care for others’ communities around the world?

3. Reflect

  • Do I consider how interconnected all people of the world are?
  • Am I conscious of my demands for various types of energy whether it is electric, food, water, etc.?

4. Resolve

  • How do the personal choices that I make impact the environment and people in my local community and around the world?
  • How can I demonstrate care for the environment?
  • Are there ways that I live a more simple life?

5. Look Ahead

  • What small daily changes can I make?
  • Have I educated myself about the connection between environmental justice and racial justice? 
  • How can I move away from a culture of consumerism?

 Environmental wellness inventory

  • Are there any easy swaps I can make to be more sustainable (ex. bring reusable bags when shopping, use a refillable water bottle, take public transportation, turn off lights, etc.)?
  • Am I aware of my consumption of material items?
  • Do I waste things? 
  • Do I know my clubs’ and organizations' commitments to being sustainable?
Connect with others about sustainability

Regular opportunities to connect about sustainability

  • Subscribe to the Forge Newsletter
  • Learn about the Liaison Program
  • Check out the Playbooks and Earn Sustainability badges 

Social accounts to follow

Habits and practices to promote sustainability

Habits of Health

  • Recycle and compost  
  • Register to vote 
  • Add time to be outside into your daily routine   
  • Evaluate all purchases to ensure you need the item and it is not an impulse buy 

Take action

  • Become a Sustainability Guide
  • The Center for Sustainability has playbooks for actions that you can take in nine different dimensions of Climate Action, Responsible Consumerism, and Quality Education. Learn more and earn a Sustainability Badge in each area:
    • Transportation
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Purchasing
    • Water
    • Landscaping
    • Waste
    • Engagement
    • Academics
  • Learn about the intersections of Racial and Environmental justice, and get involved - Environmental Justice at SCU
  • Learn how to grow and cook your own food from Katharine and the volunteers at The Forge Garden
Suggestions

We would love to continue improving our Wellness Model pages. Please share with us your feedback, or comments as well as any articles, podcast, etc. that help you be well. Please make sure you are logged into your SCU gmail account to view this google form. If you have any other comments you can also email getconnected@scu.edu #BeWellBroncos